


Doubtful Belief!

by Mozarts Fantasy (MozartsFantasy)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Sad Papyrus, Worried Papyrus, Worried Sans, genocide loops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-06-02 01:57:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6545827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MozartsFantasy/pseuds/Mozarts%20Fantasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Papyrus went to face the human against his brothers wishes, hoping that he'd be able to reason with her. In doing so, the pasta lover almost lost his life. It was only thanks to a mistake made by Chara that he survived. Now he'll be there to help Sans confront the fallen child and fight for the future of the underground. But will it make a difference... or is he destined to fall?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **AN: Requested by: StarryDewDrops- who wanted an angsty Papyrus centered story where he is the younger brother. Hopefully this will meet their standards ;)**
> 
> **I hope you all enjoy this prologue of 'Doubtful Belief!' This is a side project and will probably be shorter than my other Undertale fics but who knows... it may have other plans for me. Thanks for all the support you've been showing me and please let me know what you think of this new story.**
> 
> **Disclaimer: Toby Fox will always own Undertale, there is no chance of that changing.**

Papyrus stood in the fog, waiting for the small human to make her appearance. He had known something wasn't right as soon as the child had bypassed his puzzles, the evacuation had just furthered that thought. His brother had even tried to convince him not to come. As he stood there his thoughts drifted back to the conversation they'd had before he'd left the house... making his earlier worries resurface.

_The would be royal guard wrapped his signature scarf around his neck, making sure it was perfectly situated before heading toward their front door... planning on waiting near the entrance to Waterfall until the human arrived._

“ _Hey bro? Ya got a minute?” Sans asked, hand rubbing the back of his skull in a nervous gesture._

“ _OF COURSE!” Pap exclaimed enthusiastically, pausing what he was doing in order to face his big brother. “WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED?”_

_He watched as the jokester shuffled his feet, clearly trying to come up with a way to say what he was thinking._

“ _I, uh, I think you should stay away from that human... she's bad news.” The shorter monster spoke at last, eyes locked pleadingly with his own._

_He could tell that his brother felt very strongly on this matter but even so... he couldn't let Sans' overprotective nature get in the way of what he felt was right. And at that moment he felt he needed to at least try and reason with the human child. Perhaps he could talk some sense into her!_

“ _I'm afraid I can't do that.” He spoke quietly, voice resolute. “It is my job to capture the human and protect the citizens of Snowdin. I will not fail in my duty.”_

_With that, he turned and headed out the door into the frigid air, hesitating as he heard his brothers barely audible voice speak once more._

“ _I knew you wouldn't listen...” The elder had said moments before the door closed, dividing the brothers like an impassible barricade._

_Sans had sounded so devastated in that moment that Papyrus wished he could scoop the shorter monster into a tight hug and never let go, instead, he slowly began walking to his destination... eyes filled with concern as he tried to figure out why the other skeleton had sounded so resigned._

Even after that confrontation with his brother, Pap had refused to believe the human was as bad as she seemed. Maybe the girl was just misunderstood? He had to believe that, after all, there was good in everybody... wasn't there? But then... why had Sans been so against him coming here? The older monster had clearly been hiding something and he wished he knew what it was. If he did, maybe he could help relieve some of the sadness that had been lingering around him as of late. The sound of footsteps in the snow drew his attention, alerting him to the girls presence and he smiled brightly as she stopped before him, even as he felt his legs beginning to tremble in apprehension.

“HALT, HUMAN!” He called as bravely as he could, glad that his older brother was safe helping the other residents of Snowdin evacuate.

The skeletons eye sockets widened as the girl moved forward slightly and he involuntarily took a step back.

“HEY, QUIT MOVING WHILE I'M TALKING TO YOU!” The spaghetti lover shouted, hoping to get a response from the small human. “I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY.”

Pap let out a sigh of relief as she halted her progress. Instead the kid decided to stare at him, a small, twisted smile showing on her otherwise emotionless face. That look alone was enough to send shivers coursing down his spine.

“FIRST, YOU'RE A FREAKING WEIRDO! NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT LIKE PUZZLES, BUT THE WAY YOU SHAMBLE ABOUT FROM PLACE TO PLACE...” He paused, gaze trailing toward the humans hands which she kept clenched into fists at her side. “THE WAY YOUR HANDS ARE ALWAYS COVERED IN DUSTY POWDER. ”

Papyrus may be more innocent than many in the underground but there was no way he would mistake what that meant, this human had been killing monsters, and judging by the amount of dust covering her small form... he'd say she hadn't shone even a single ounce of mercy.

“IT FEELS... LIKE YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH. HOWEVER! I, PAPYRUS, SEE GREAT POTENTIAL WITHIN YOU! EVERYONE CAN BE A GREAT PERSON IF THEY TRY!” The small girl merely scoffed at his encouragement, making doubts flare in his head.

What if he had been wrong? What if this child truly had no good inside of her?

Trying to hide his nervousness, the scarf wearing skeleton continued. “AND ME, I HARDLY HAVE TO TRY AT ALL!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!”

If anyone had been around they would have been able to tell that his laugh was uneasy and forced, rather than the normal jubilant one they had grown so accustomed to hearing in his presence.

“HEY, QUIT MOVING! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!” He yelled, noticing the kid slowly creeping toward him.

“HUMAN! I THINK YOU ARE IN NEED OF GUIDANCE! SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW! BUT WORRY NOT!” The tall skeleton announced, pointing to himself with his thumb as he continued. “I, PAPYRUS... WILL GLADLY BE YOUR FRIEND AND TUTOR! I WILL TURN YOUR LIFE RIGHT AROUND!!!”

He prayed that the child would come to her senses and realize the error of her ways. That hope was the only thing that kept him from fleeing. Pap had never felt as scared as he did in that moment as the young girl began moving steadily towards him, hand reaching for something she'd kept concealed behind her back.

“I SEE YOU ARE APPROACHING. ARE YOU OFFERING A HUG OF ACCEPTANCE?” Papyrus spoke, barely hiding the dread he felt growing withing his soul. “WOWIE!! MY LESSONS ARE ALREADY WORKING!! I, PAPYRUS, WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS!”

He stood there, arms outstretched as if to greet a dear friend, the smile still present on his face. Though if one were to look closely enough they would be able to see the faint tremor racking his bony frame and tears beginning to gather in his eye sockets as he faced his impending doom.

'Well brother...' He thought as the child pulled out her concealed weapon and began to swing it in a sweeping arch toward his unprotected neck. “It looks like this is farewell. I should have listened to you, after all, you always had my best interests in mind. I'm sorry...”

The pain was nearly unbearable as the blade sliced across his lower cervical vertebrae, catching on his scarf in the process and tearing it free from his neck. Blood began steadily seeping from the wound and he fell to his knees, unable to remain on his feet any longer as the torn red fabric floated to the ground beside him.

“W...WELL. THAT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED...” He gasped, hardly able to speak due to the pain and blood loss, but the child didn't hear... she was already walking away. “BUT... ST...STILL! I BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER! EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO! I... I PROMISE...”

If he had been a normal monster and not a skeleton... Papyrus would already be dead. As it was he had been dealt a critical blow that, if not taken care of quickly, would surely result in him bleeding to death. Dragging himself over to the treeline, the normally excitable monster hid behind a large pine, worried that the human may look back and notice he was still alive. If that happened he would be finished. Placing a shaking hand against the wound, the skeleton tried to summon his magic... but he was too weak. All he could do was try and put pressure on the cut in order to slow the blood flow.

All of a sudden he heard a kind of _whooshing_ sound and hope filled his soul. That was the noise made when his older brother teleported! Still wary that the human was around he peaked out from his hiding place slowly, hoping to spot the shorter skelebro. His eyes widened at the sight that lay before him. Sans was collapsed on his knees, sockets unseeing as he clung tightly to the scarf clutched against his chest, tears trailing down his face. The injured monster couldn't move, he was frozen in place as the elders muffled voice reached him.

“I'm s...sorry Pappy...” Sans sobbed, face buried in the soft material. “I thought I w...would be fast enough this t...time! I thought I co...could save y...you! But I was too late... like always. Why? W...WHY DID THIS HAVE TO H...HAPPEN AGAIN!? Please b...bro... forgive me for not being able to pr...protect you. I'm... I'm so...”

As Sans let out an anguished scream, Paps eyes teared up. He sounded so devastated...

_'What is he talking about?'_ The enthusiastic monster thought worriedly, unable to comprehend what the other was talking about. _'Brother? What do you mean by when you said that it happened again?'_

Deeming it unimportant for the moment, the twenty one year old gathered up what little strength was left in his body and managed to get to his feet... taking a shaky step toward his distraught brother.

“S...Sans?” He called weakly, wanting to let the other know that he was alright. His legs threatened to give out as he swayed dangerously.

The smaller monsters head whipped up at lightning speed and his wet eyes landed on his younger bro, disbelief and hope fighting for dominance on his tear stained face. “Papyrus? Wha... how? Y...You're alive?”

The younger gave a weak nod as the comedian stumbled over, wrapping his arms around him in a desperate embrace...

“You're alive...” The smaller monster repeated, voice betrayed the relief he felt as he tightened his hold, only to pull back moments later as his bro gasped in pain.

Sans' eyes darkened as he noticed the deteriorating state the taller skeleton was in and he slowly lowered him back to the ground, being extra careful not to aggravate his brothers injuries. After Pap was situated, the hoodie wearing monster reached up to remove his siblings hand from the injury in order to get a better look at it. He growled lowly as he saw the damage that had been done. That demon spawn could have sliced his bros head off! Sure, he'd seen the aftermath several times... Pappy's dust scattered over the snowy field where he'd stood up for what he'd believed. But knowing that this wound could so easily have had the same outcome if that brat had stuck but a few inches deeper... it was enough to make his soul feel as if it had twisted itself into an ever tightening knot.

“Hold still bro...” The elder stated, pushing those thoughts to the side as he summoned his magic. “This may hurt a bit.”

Papyrus scrunched his eyes shut and allowed his brother to heal him, wincing slightly at the sting that was left behind. He sighed in relief when the pain finally subsided and he felt a small portion of his strength return as the other skeleton shared some of his energy. He was dizzy, weak, and to be honest... a little bit frightened, but he would live... and that's what truly mattered.

“That's better... can't have the great Papyrus being scarfless, can we?” The older skeleton said, hoping to offer some comfort to his traumatized little brother as he gently wrapped the tattered scarf around Paps neck.

“Nyeh heh heh...” The pasta lover chuckled unconvincingly as he was helped to his feet, leaning heavily against the shorter monster.

“Come on... let's get you home.” Sans whispered, concern still prominent in his voice.

Pap wavered as he felt magic surround him and, suddenly, the two skelebros were standing outside their house. He was led inside and swiftly deposited on the couch as the jokester rushed into the kitchen and began rummaging around, searching for something. The would be royal guard craned his neck in order to try and see what it was his brother was doing when the elder made his way back into the living room, a piping hot plate of spaghetti held in his hand.

“You should eat.” Sans declared, not even glancing at his battered companion as he placed the food on the small table in front of the sofa, guilt reflecting heavily in his eyes. “It will help replenish the blood you lost as well as your HP.”

Pap ignored the food, choosing instead to address the other monster.

“Sans, please look at me.” The normally energetic skelebro pleaded, smiling fondly as the other reluctantly did so. “This was not your fault. You were right when you told me to stay away from the human. I should have listened to you, but instead I decided to try reasoning with her. Maybe I was wrong but... I just couldn't believe that anyone could be completely evil, especially such a small child. I knew there was a chance that I would be hurt but even so, I walked out that door of my own free will... no one forced me. So please brother... don't blame yourself.”

His smile faded as he saw tears forming in the other skeletons eye sockets and he watched in horror as his older brother broke down for the second time, burying his head in his hands to muffle the sobs. Reaching forward, Pap dragged the smaller monster into a warm hug, hoping to offer even the slightest bit of comfort. They stayed there like that for nearly ten minutes until Sans had calmed down enough to speak.

“Y...you don't understand P...Pappy.” The comedian sobbed, voice rough from all the crying. “It's not that s...simple.”

“Then make me understand...” He replied impatiently, wanting nothing more than to figure out what had caused this. “For the last couple of weeks you've been shutting me out and I want to know why. We used to be so close, we could tell each other anything, but now... all you do is keep secrets! And don't think I can't tell how upset you've been lately. You use those stupid puns of yours to hide behind, but you know what Sans? It doesn't work on me, I can see straight through you!”

The spaghetti lover saw his older bro flinch at his words but refused to back down now, not when he finally had the chance to learn what had caused the jokester to change so drastically over such a short period of time. So, completely forgetting his fatigue, he waited silently for the other to answer.

“Heh, welp... guess I don't have a choice.” Sans stated, voice barely loud enough to be heard. “Hmm... how to begin...”

The stocky skeleton remained quiet for several minutes and Papyrus couldn't help but fidget. He was curious to learn what the comedian would reveal yet, as the silence stretched on, apprehension began to fill his soul. The taller monster was certain that whatever was bothering his brother couldn't be anything good.

“The thing is, Pap...” The slipper clad skelebro said at last, reaching out to take his bros hand in his own. “That human has already killed you at least a dozen times.”

Papyrus' eye sockets widened, first in confusion, then later in horrified understanding as Sans proceeded to explain about the timelines and all the heartache that came with them. In that moment he made a vow... never again would he be left in the dark as his brother bore the weight of all monster kind. From now on, the great Papyrus would be there to help carry the load. No matter what happened... he would find a way.

 


	2. Not Strong Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN: Okay, so it's been a super long time since I posted the prologue to this story. Sorry about that but if you've been reading my other story 'Adopted Promise!' You'll know that I was busy most of the summer helping a friend of mine and barely had any time to write. From now on I plan to try and post one new chapter per week though whether it will be this story or my other one depends on what I'm inspired to write. Anyway I hope you like this extra long chapter in the meantime. It ended up a little darker than planned but don't worry, things will get better. Please let me know what you think :)**
> 
> **Disclaimer: Toby Fox is the amazing creator of Undertale. I'm only borrowing his characters for this story.**

It had taken several hours for the older skelebro to tell his story and with each passing minute he seemed to get more troubled. Finally, he let out a sigh, rising to his feet with a look of apprehension.

“Welp, it's about time I head over to the judgment hall.” Sans said, meeting his little bros eye sockets. “I'm sure the brat's reached Hotland by now... it's only a matter of time before they manage to pass through the Core.”

“What is this 'judgment hall' you speak of?” Papyrus asked confusedly, he'd never heard of such a place.

“Oh, that's my name for the final corridor.” His older brother explained. “You know, that place where actual sunlight shines into the underground through the holes in the ceiling? I started calling it that after the first time I was forced to pass judgment on one of the humans.”

“Okay then.” The younger skeleton nodded, accepting the answer as he moved to stand beside his brother. “Let us go and stop the human!”

“No Pap, I'm going to stop the human... you're staying here.” The comedian asserted adamantly.

“But...” The younger tried to reason but was cut off.

“I SAID NO!” Sans shouted, causing Papyrus to recoil slightly. The hoodie clad skeleton had a guilty expression on his face as he continued imploringly. “You almost died... again... do you really think I would risk your life by taking you anywhere near the kid who's favorite pastime is dusting monsters? No way in hell! This is the first time you've survived to this point and I'm not going to throw that away now! So please, Papyrus, stay here... for me?”

“...Fine...” The spaghetti loving monster conceded reluctantly, unable to bear the panicked look in his bros eye sockets as he grudgingly stepped away from the shorter male.

“I love you, Pappy.” Sans replied emotionally. “Don't ever forget that okay? No matter what happens.”

“Sans?” Pap began, but it was already too late... his brother had teleported away before he could say anything more.

_'Why does it feel like something bad is going to happen?'_ The tall monster asked himself, thinking back over everything he'd just learned, a worried gasp escaping as he remembered their earlier conversation.

“ _Sans? What happens after I...” Papyrus trailed off, unable to finish._

_Even so, his older brother understood perfectly, face contorted in an agonized frown upon mention of the other skeletons premature demise._

“ _It's always the same, one way or another. Sure some minor details may change but... the outcome remains the same.” Sans began, closing his sockets as the memories washed over him. “Undyne, Mettaton, even Alphys in her own way, everyone tries to stop the brat... and one by one... they fall. No matter what I do, I'm too late to save anyone... just like I was too late to save you all those times. But I still have to try! I refuse to just give up! So, even after everyone I cared for have been turned to dust... I head off to face the fallen human on my own.”_

_Pap could tell that his older bro was leaving something out but didn't question it. Instead he chose to focus on his concerns for Sans' safety._

“ _But brother, that's dangerous! I know you have the most powerful magic in the underground but still... you've only got one HP and you tend to tire quickly! If you get hit even once you'll die!” The scarf wearing monster declared, concern radiating from him in waves._

“ _Heh, I know bro...” Sans admitted, voice barely louder than a whisper. “I know that all too well. You see, the human got rather... frustrated... with me. In out first confrontation I was able to kill her almost immediately. I thought I had managed to avenge you and the others but she just reset time to right before the battle and I was forced to do it all over again. Every time I beat her she would go back and after awhile... she started memorizing my attack patterns.”_

_Papyrus didn't like the sound of where this story was heading. A feeling of dread washed over him as he noticed the resigned look on his older siblings face._

“ _A few tries later the kid managed to kill me.” The jokester laughed humorlessly, not meeting the other skeletons gaze. “And that wasn't the only time. No, the brat wanted payback for all the times I'd stood in their way so instead of moving on to complete whatever diabolical scheme they had in mind, the kid reset to when she first fell into the underground... and did it all over again. Around the fourth loop, the human figured out that after she kills me she can just rewind to right before our battle and not waste time killing the rest of you. That way she could kill me as much as she wanted.”_

“ _How... how many times have you died Sans?” The younger monster questioned, dreading the answer he was about to receive._

_'About twenty-four I guess... haven't really been keeping count.' His older brother replied, scratching his cheek bone with one finger uneasily._

_It felt as if all the air had been forcefully expelled from his body as Pap shut his eyes. Tears were gathering but he refused to let them fall. No, he had to stay strong... Sans needed him! Judging by the lost look on his bros face, it wouldn't be long before he broke. The spaghetti lover knew Sans was strong, but there is only so much someone can take. No wonder he had been having nightmares recently. Who wouldn't after everything he'd been through._

At that moment Papyrus had promised himself that he would be there for his brother and help take down the fallen human once and for all. That is why, mere minutes after Sans had teleported to the judgment hall, Pap followed as fast as he could on foot. He knew it would take about an hour, even if he was running at his top speed, to reach the final corridor... he just hoped he would make it in time.

As he shoved open the large stone doors he was met with the sounds of battle. Peering around the pillars that lined both sides of the room, the tall skeleton was graced with the sight of his older brother impaling the evil human through the chest with several of his bone attacks. Letting out a sigh of relief, Papyrus watched as the bones disappeared, allowing the child to fall to the floor in a broken heap. Just as he was about to leave his hiding place a blinding flash of light lit up the surrounding room and he heard a menacing chuckle sound from behind him.

“Hmm, what is this?” The voice asked, mockingly, causing him to turn toward the sound. “It seems as if I let a little bug escape my net. Oh well, all the better to crush you now.”

Before he was able to move further Chara had rushed forward and landed a crushing blow to the middle of his sternum, sending the winded monster careening backwards to land at his bros feet.

“Pap?” Sans cried, worriedly reaching down to help the younger monster to his feet... sighing in relief as he noticed that the human had refrained from using her knife. “What are you doing here? I told you to stay put!”

“When do siblings ever do as they're told?” The fallen human asked, rage shining in her eyes. “What good are they anyways? Always causing trouble... backing out of the plans we made... breaking promises. If it weren't for my 'so called sibling'... I wouldn't be like this!”

Pap flinched, the hatred in the child's voice sending shivers coursing down his spine. He was so distracted by the fear pulsing throughout his soul that he failed to notice the attack heading towards him and only came back to his senses after Sans pushed him out of the way. He lay there, trembling on the ground as Sans deflected the blow back toward the evil human.

“Pappy you need to run!” The comedian shouted as Chara readied her next attack. “This is why I didn't want you to come. You shouldn't have to deal with this! You're too innocent and pure... I don't want to see that taken away from you!”

The elder skeleton glanced back to where his little brother still lay motionless on the floor, panic shining through the tears in his eye sockets. Papyrus stared in shock. He had never seen his strong, easy-going, older brother look so broken as he did in that moment... and it rattled him to the core.

“Sans, I won't leave you to deal with this alone!” The spaghetti lover exclaimed loudly, ignoring the tremors that wracked his frame as he forced himself off the ground... hands raised above his head for emphasis. “We need to stick together if we are to...”

He trailed off, unable to finish as two knives pierced through his gloved hands and into the pillar behind him, effectively pinning him in place. Blood trailed down his arms as he screamed out in pain, unable to hold it in as his brother rushed forward anxiously shouting his name.

“Oh my god, Pap... just hold still. I'll get them out.” Sans uttered, trying his best to remain calm.

Papyrus just whimpered. The knives had sliced through several of the smaller bones causing him excruciating pain. Yet even suffering as he was, the normally energetic monster noticed as Chara silently began advancing on his older bro and managed to choke out a warning just in time. He watched helplessly as his hoodie clad brother turned to stand defensively between the child and himself, the blue glow of his eye illuminating his face and forming a frightening image that even the fallen human hesitated upon seeing. Though that didn't last long and a menacing smirk soon covered her face once more.

“What's wrong, Sansy?” Chara mocked, humor shining in her blood red eyes. “Are you upset that I hurt your pathetic baby brother? You should be happy. After all, he's still alive... isn't he?”

The pinned monster watched as grief flickered across his siblings expression. He knew exactly what was going through Sans' head and so, taking a trembling breath, he called out to gain the others attention.

“Do not listen to her Sans. It is not your fault that I died all those other times.” He alleged, a few tears trailing down his face as he accidentally jostled his wounded hands. “You tried your very best to protect everyone... that's all you could do! There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Now stop moping about and show that evil human a BAD TIME!”

“Shut your trap! The only reason you're even alive is because I happened to make a mistake and didn't wait around for you to turn to dust.” Chara growled, irately flinging another knife in Papyrus' direction. The scarf wearing monster closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable impact.

As the demonic child was speaking Sans had managed to summon a large scale bone attack without drawing her attention. As soon as the weapon left the girls hand the comedian had unleashed his assault, letting the bones fly as he teleported in front of his bro... a resigned smile on his face as he gazed lovingly up at the younger skeleton.

Upon opening his sockets a strangled cry wrenched itself from Papyrus' throat as he watched Sans fall to his knees, the knife tip piercing through the middle of his chest directly where his soul resided. Tears streamed heavily down his face as his mind tried to convince him that what he was seeing wasn't real. It couldn't be! There was no possible way that his older brother, the monster he looked up to above all others, was going to fall like this. Yet his heart knew differently. He was awake... and Sans had just sacrificed himself in order to save him.

The shorter monster took in a shaky breath, blood dripping from his mouth to land softly on the ground near his slippered feet. He took some satisfaction in hearing the brats swears coming from behind him and knew that she hadn't escaped his attack unscathed. But even so, it was only a matter of time before she recovered enough to continue the fight.

“H...heya bro...” Sans gasped, barely able to talk as his body began to dissolve. “This t...timeline will probably reset s...soon. It'll all go b...back to how it was before th...the human appeared. When it d...does, I w...want you to just f...forget about this. Block it from your m...memory. But for n...now, you have to f...fight. That brat c...can't be allowed to win. Tibia honest I w...wish I could s...still be by your side p...protecting you, but, I can't. There is one thing I c...can do to help keep you safe th...though.”

“Sans what are you...” Pap trailed off as his brother rose unsteadily to his feet and painfully made his way closer to the enthusiastic monster.

With a grimace, the slipper wearing skeleton reached out and yanked the knives out of the pillar, catching his little bro as they both collapsed to the ground. The taller skeleton cradled his bloody hands close to his body as he allowed his sibling to wrap him in a tight embrace. Suddenly, the blue glow of Sans' magic engulfed him... healing his injuries and filling him with a power he'd never felt before. It was as if he had been infused with the older monsters strength. The light vanished moments later as Sans' body went limp in his arms. Papyrus let out a cry of despair as he held the smaller being close, rocking his still form as he would a frightened child, before his brothers body completely dissolved and he was left holding nothing but a dust covered hoodie. He stayed there, silent sobs wracking his body as tears soaked through the blue fabric he kept firmly pressed to his face. It wasn't until shrill laughter echoed throughout the room that he remembered the human child.

“Well isn't this a pleasant surprise.” Chara stated, turning a gleeful smirk on the remaining skelebro. “If I had known it would be that easy to kill the comedian I would have let you live longer in the other loops. So Pappy, how does it feel knowing you were the one who caused your brothers downfall?”

The distraught skeleton turned enraged eyes on the evil human who had dared to laugh at Sans' death. Slowly rising to his feet, sockets never leaving Chara, Papyrus took a moment to slip his arms into the sleeves of his older bros jacket... pulling the ends of his scarf out to fall down his back.

_'Sans, please forgive me.'_ The tall skeleton thought as he took his battle stance, the judges magic mingling with his own, making it stronger than it's ever been. _'I should have been able to help! I should have been able to protect you as you've always protected me! But I failed... if it hadn't been for me getting in your way then maybe, just maybe, you'd still be alive. I promise you though, I will do everything in my power to stop the fallen human. Thank you for lending me your powers brother... there's no way I would be able to do this on my own.'_

“Chara! You were the one who threw the knife, not I.” Papyrus shouted, pain lacing his voice but he refused to let any more tears fall. “Yes it's true that Sans sacrificed himself to protect me... but he did it out of love. Do you even remember what it feels like to be loved like that? To know that no matter what your family will always be there to protect you? Or has the hate you hold within your soul clouded your memories?”

He paused, searching for a sign that his words were having any affect on the small girl in front of him. All he got in turn was a sinister smile as the child readied a new knife (where she was getting them from he had no idea).

“Very well, it seems you leave me no choice.” Pap said, regret tinging his voice. “Human! There was once a time when I believed you could be a better person, when I offered you friendship in the hopes that it would help you see the light. That time has long passed. I am sorry but I, The Great Papyrus, no longer believe in you! However, I am not going to give you a BAD TIME, instead... I'm going to have LOTS... OF... FUN!”

The world faded away as the normally enthusiastic monster closed his eyes, taking a deep calming breath as he readied himself for what he was about to do.

“I'm sure my brother would have given a speech about what a nice day it is, but tibia honest... I don't feel up to it.” Pap admitted, a sad smile forming on his face as he repeated the final pun his bro had spoken. “Let's just cut to the chase you dirty brother killer!”

His eyes snapped open as the battle began, revealing a blazing orange flame emitting from his right socket. A row of bones immediately manifested below the feet of the human causing her to jump into the air. Papyrus then summoned a large staff-like femur which he used to slash and stab at her soul until she had less than ten HP remaining. He finished his turn by calling forth several of his older brothers gaster blasters... eye turning blue in response to the stronger magic flowing through his body. He watched, unremorseful, as the child fell motionless to the floor... blood seeping from the many wounds he'd inflicted upon her. He sighed, leaning heavily on his staff as a blinding light lit up the area and he was suddenly faced with a revived Chara. The spaghetti lover had anticipated this as he had remembered what Sans had told him of the timelines, yet it still sent an uneasy chill down his spine.

“Nyeh heh heh! I see you are back again!” He exclaimed loudly, pointing the end of the elongated femur towards his brothers murderer. “Have you not had enough? Well then, let's see if we can remedy that!”

Time and time again Papyrus' attacks pierced through the humans defenses... and time and again she returned. Each time gaining more ground as she learned the skeletons patterns until he was nearly at his limit.

“What's wrong royal guard wannabe?” Chara taunted, a malicious grin twisting her face into something demonic. “Getting tired already? Even with Sans' powers you can't beat me. You'll fail just as he did. There's no other way this will end.”

The scarf clad skeleton glared angrily at the fallen human, eye pulsing orange and blue at the mention of his brother. Sans had done everything in his power to protect the ones he cared about, to protect all monsters from this evil child, and she had the gall to call him a failure. There was no way Pap would allow her to get away with that. He didn't care if her insults were directed at him, he could brush it off, but to insult the one monster who had always been there for him... that was another matter entirely.

“Leave my brother out of this Chara!” He shouted, calling forth an array of bones which he let fly in her direction. “He was the bravest monster I've ever known and I will not allow you to disrespect his memory!”

The child laughed, dodging every attack that was sent her way. When her turn came she nearly managed to connect with the younger skeleton.

“The comedian, brave? Ha! Don't make me laugh.” Chara gloated, remembering her past duels with the elder skelebro. “If only you knew how many times I had him on his knees, begging me to reset just so he didn't have to be alone anymore. No, Sans wasn't brave. If he was... he wouldn't have given up and let me kill him.”

The lights of Papyrus' eyes shrank to pin-points, his anger forming a magical wind around him which caused both his scarf and Sans' jacket to flutter in the breeze. He refused to believe that what the child said was true. His bro would never have given up like that. It just couldn't be true!

“You're lying!” The lanky monster replied, vehemently. “My brother would never do such a thing.”

“Oh, but I'm not... everything I've told you is the truth.” The girl replied. “Your big brother was so overwrought with the pain of loosing the ones he loved that he lost the will to live. It made it entirely too easy to kill him when that happened... so I decided to have a little fun. I fought him up until the point where he was just too exhausted to continue... and then I refused to let him die. I kept him alive... but just barely. He was too weak to harm me and, after several weeks, he tried to end his own life. I wouldn't let him though. I lost track of how many times he begged me to reset, it had to be in the hundreds, and after he'd completely given up on life... after he was nothing more than a shell of the monster he'd once been... that's when I used my knife to end his miserable existence. Sans didn't even put up a fight and, you know what, he died with a smile on his face.”

Papyrus had been silent the entire time that the human was speaking, body shaking from the many emotions coursing through his soul as Chara recited the story of how she'd broken his brothers will. He was in shock. Sans hadn't told him any of this when he'd explained the timelines, but... that didn't mean it wasn't true. He didn't want to believe what the brat was saying. He didn't want to think of his brother alone and wanting to die. That thought crashed over him like a tidal wave. Sans had been so desperate to end his suffering that he'd been willing to take his own life! He couldn't dwell on that at this moment however, he would just have to wait for the timeline to reset so he could confront his big brother and learn the truth. Until the moment Sans told him it was true face to face he wouldn't believe what the demon child had revealed. Though doubts still lingered in his mind as he recalled his earlier feeling that Sans hadn't told him the entire truth.

“If what you say is true, I will make you pay for the suffering you caused my brother!” He shouted, redoubling his efforts Papyrus sent attack after attack toward the grinning girl, each stronger than the last.

They continued for nearly an hour, not speaking a word as they traded blows. The skeleton panted. summoning a squad of gaster blasters to finish the girl off, but she managed to survive the barrage. The fun loving monster was barely able to get a breath as he dodged Chara's latest attack. With how exhausted he was though Papyrus failed to notice the second knife following in the shadow of the first and, as the weapon pierced through his battle body, his eyes widened in surprise and he fell to his knees.

“What was that about making me pay?” Chara mocked, looming above him with a patronizing sneer. “I must have misheard you. Someone like you never stood a chance against someone like me.”

With that, the child turned and walked toward the door at the far end of the judgment hall... heading in the direction of Asgore's throne room. With one hand resting on the door handle she glanced back over her shoulder.

“It's been fun, Papyrus.” She said innocently, entertainment shining in her red eyes. “We'll have to do it again sometime.”

With that, she was gone... leaving the defeated monster alone with his thoughts. Papyrus gasped, sobs escaping him clenched jaw as he began to dissolve into dust.

“I'm s...sorry Sans!” He cried, weakly clutching the older skeletons hoodie. “Even th...though you lent me w...what was left of y...your magic... I still wasn't s...strong enough! I'm so s...sorry.”

_'Hey, don't worry Pappy. I'm not angry with you... not in the slightest. You have nothing to be sorry for.'_ He heard his brothers voice whisper in his head causing a peaceful smile to spread over his face.

“S...Sans... wherever you a...are... please wait for m...me.” The dying monster mumbled, barely able to form the words as the last remnants of his strength faded away.

 


	3. Deja Vu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN: Gah! You would not believe how bad my writers block has been. I've been working on this chapter for a month, and I still don't think it's the best, but I wanted to move on so... here it is. I hope it's not too disappointing. Updates may be slower on my stories until I manage to find some inspiration. Also life's been pretty stressful and it is impossible for me to write when I'm stressed so that may be part of why I'm having such an awful time with my stories. Hopefully I'll be able to get over this soon and find some inspiration to write. Thanks to everyone who's sticking around and sorry it's taking forever for updates. Hope you like this and please let me know what you think.**
> 
> **Disclaimer: Toby Fox is the undisputed owner of Undertale, not me.**

Papyrus ran through the snowy landscape on his way to readjust his puzzles. That morning had be very peculiar. He couldn't help feeling as if he'd forgotten something important. Not only that but his brother had seemed terribly depressed for some reason. The younger skelebro was unsure whether or not he should leave him alone, after all, maybe he could cheer him up. However, Sans had assured him that he'd just had a bad dream and that it was nothing to worry about. With that assurance, the spaghetti lover had reluctantly agreed to carry on with his day. Now, as he marched through the forest surrounding Snowdin, a feeling that something bad was about to happen crept over him. Whatever that feeling was, however, he didn't have time to dwell on it. A human would be coming today... he could feel it in his bones!

_'Hmm, I still can't figure out why this all seems so familiar though.'_ The would be royal guard thought to himself fleetingly before carrying on with his appointed task.

It was nearly three hours later when he and his older brother met the human child as she wandered through the trees. The girl seemed to know exactly where she was going, which was odd because she couldn't have been there before... surely he would have noticed. For the rest of the morning Pap watched as the shorter being completed all of his puzzles, though for some reason her enthusiasm seemed to be lacking and he swore that he could see a bit of dust covering her slight frame. Unease filled his soul as they left the child behind in the forest and returned home, knowing it wouldn't be long before she appeared in Snowdin.

“Sans?” Papyrus called as the duo approached their home. “I feel as if something is not quite right with the human.”

His brother stopped walking but refused to face him. His voice when he answered was quiet and filled with contempt. “Welp, I guess you could say that... though it's kind of an understatement.”

The puzzle lover sent a confused look toward the smaller being who only shrugged in return.

_'This isn't how it happened last time.'_ The younger brother thought. _'Wait, what is that supposed to mean? Last time? What is going on!?'_

“Listen, Pappy, she's dangerous... I don't want you anywhere near her.” Sans said, completely serious, drawing the taller monster from his thoughts.

“But what if...” He began, only to be interrupted.

“No.” The comedian returned, voice taking on a slightly sharper edge which worried the sentry to no end. “No ifs, ands, or buts. Stay away from that brat... okay Pap?”

The lanky skeleton nodded, speechless. What could have caused his normally carefree brother to behave in such a way.

“Good. Now I'm gonna go warn the others.” His older bro stated as he turned to face the direction in which Grillby's was located. “They should probably make themselves scarce until the human leaves town. We don't want any more monsters to be hurt.”

Without another word Papyrus was left on his own. Thinking about what the shorter monster had said about warning their friends he figured it was best to try and slow the fallen human down, but that would mean going against his brothers wishes. Still, if it were for the sakes of others he was certain Sans would understand. With this reasoning, the kindhearted being raced off to find the child. A short while later he had found the girl near the long bridge that led into town. She was just standing there, leaning against a tree on the far side as if she'd been waiting for him to return. It was all rather unnerving for the tall skeleton and he felt an irrational fear settle in his soul as he stared into the girls red eyes. Still, he refused to cower like a child and decided it would be best to get to the bottom of this.

“HUMAN!” He called, not setting foot on the bridge, instead settling for yelling across the gap. “WHY IS IT THAT YOU SEEM TO KNOW THIS PLACE? I ALSO HAVE THE FEELING THAT I'VE MET YOU BEFORE... BUT THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE! SURELY I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED SUCH AN EVENT.”

He paused, waiting for the child to answer... but she refused. The only response he got was for her to slowly begin making he way across the rickety, wooden bridge, a cruel smile contorting her face.

“ANOTHER THING... WHY DOES IT LOOK AS IF YOU'RE COVERED IN MONSTER DUST?” Pap demanded, standing his ground even though every instinct was telling him to flee. “MY EYES MUST BE PLAYING TRICKS ON ME! THERE IS NO WAY THAT A CHILD SUCH AS YOURSELF COULD BE SO CRUEL! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT!”

The smaller being was growing closer and he could see the excited gleam in her eyes as she approached. The puzzle lover could feel his legs begin to tremble as images passed through his head, too fast for him to understand what they were, but he felt it had something to do with the fallen human before him.

“BUT MAYBE I AM WRONG. MAYBE YOU DID KILL THOSE MONSTERS.” Papyrus admitted, eyes beginning to show a slight hint of orange. “IF THAT IS THE CASE I WILL TAKE IT UPON MYSELF TO PUT A STOP TO YOU HERE AND NOW! PREPARE YOURSELF HUMAN, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT LET YOU CONTINUE ANY FURTHER.”

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

It had taken nearly forty minutes to convince the residents of Snowdin to evacuate and Sans had grown ever more worried as the time progressed. Chara should have arrived by now. What could be keeping her? As he rushed back to his house, the elder skeleton immediately felt as if something was off. One look through their home and he knew what it was... Papyrus was gone! After agreeing to stay away from the brat he'd up and ran off anyway! The comedian had noticed that the other monster had been acting strangely all day but had just passed it off as disorientation. Sometimes, after a reset, the ones who had been killed later than the others would act like they were walking around in a daze. It usually wore off in few hours so he figured it would be the same with his little brother... but what if he were wrong? What if Pap had actually remembered parts of the previous timeline and went to confront the brat sooner than he usually did?

_'This is not good!'_ He thought to himself, rushing off towards the snow covered woods. He didn't waste magic on teleporting, he'd need all of his strength in case his bro needed help when he found him. _'Come on, Pappy! Please be okay... just hang on a little longer.'_

As he approached the long bridge Sans could hear the telltale sounds of battle echoing through the air and immediately quickened his pace, hoping he would be in time to save Papyrus.

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

He was loosing strength and quickly. The battle had been going on for quite some time and the younger skelebro feared that he would fall to the humans might. Yet even so, he refused to regret his decision to challenge her. If it bought his brother enough time to warn the townspeople then he would consider it a job well done.

“What's wrong, Pappy... feeling tired already.” The child mocked as she swung her knife towards his ribs.

The tall skeleton barely managed to avoid the attack, his breath coming in quick pants as he flung an array of blue and white attacks at the fallen human. She dodged easily.

“Is that really all you've got? You're so pathetic.” Chara laughed, eyes shining like fire as her attention was drawn to something behind the younger skelebro. “Hmm, I was planning on playing with you more but it seems our time together has come to an end. Oh well, it's been fun while it lasted. Goodbye, Papyrus!”

Pap tried to launch an attack but he hardly had any magic left and collapsed to his knees in the snow, the single bone he'd managed to manifest vanishing as the evil little girl advanced on him. Accepting his fate, the scarf wearing monster closed his eyes and awaited the blow that would end his life. It never came. Instead he heard a soft grunt and opened his eyes to see his brother standing between himself and the murderous child, the girls wrist caught in the judge's hand. In the blink of an eye Sans' blue magic engulfed the kid and she was flung backwards into a nearby tree. A sickening crack was heard before the human collapsed to the ground, the knife landing in the snow beside her.

“S...Sans?” Papyrus asked, trembling slightly as he managed to stand on shaky legs.

The smaller being turned swiftly, eye still blazing blue and a panicked look on his face.

“Are you all right Papyrus?” Sans exclaimed, rushing over to where his younger bro stood. “Are you hurt? Do I need to heal anything?”

“I'm fine, brother. I just used up too much of my magic.” The spaghetti lover explained, somewhat embarrassed.

The shorter monster let out a relieved sigh before letting a smile grace his features. “Sounds like you're pretty bone weary.”

“SANS NO!” Pap cried, covering his ear holes even as a small smile found it's way onto his face.

“Or maybe... dead tired?” The elder monster chuckled at the others reaction, he knew that Papyrus didn't actually hate his puns as much as he tried to make everyone believe.

He earned a small giggle for his efforts and smiled widely in return before his face grew solemn.

“But seriously bro... are you sure you're alright?” The comedian spoke, concern heavy in his tone as the lighthearted atmosphere all but vanished.

“Don't worry Sans, I'm...” The younger rushed to reassure the smaller monster but was cut off as a knife soared through the air toward the smaller monster's back.

Papyrus' eyes flew wide with shock and fear as images began to flood his vision, similar to earlier but a lot slower and more clear.

_The human attacking him as he offered her a second chance, the wound she inflicted upon him, his older brother finding him bleeding in the snow._

The slipper wearing monster noticed his brothers face contort in fear and whipped around, managing to catch the weapon with his magic and fling it back at the brat before once more engaging her in battle.

Pap clutched his skull as memories assaulted his brain, completely unaware of what was happening around him.

_Learning about the timelines, watching his joke loving sibling run off to face Chara on his own, following after him even though he'd been told not to._

The visions became more painful and he sank to his knees, head buried in his hands as he tried to block out the images.

“Papyrus?” Sans asked, hearing a whimper somewhere behind him as he deflected another attack and flung the human into a second tree, this time hard enough to render her unconscious, before rushing to his distressed brothers side. “It's okay, you're gonna be fine. I won't let her hurt you!”

_'Something's wrong.'_ The elder monster thought to himself as he knelt beside his scarf wearing brother. _'It doesn't seem like he can hear me... or even see me for that matter. What the heck is happening?'_

The taller skeleton shuddered, tears beginning to well up in his sockets as the memories continued to run through his mind like some twisted play.

_Watching from behind the pillar as his bro fought the human, rejoicing when he'd thought Sans had won, being pinned to the column as Chara's knife flew towards his body._

The comedian softly placed a hand against the younger skelebro's cheekbone, trying in vain to get Papyrus to focus on him.

“Come on bro, you need to tell me what's happening.” He pleaded, concern flooding his soul with every moment that the other monster remained unresponsive.

_Sans sacrificing his own life in order to protect him, being granted what was left of his brother's magic, facing the fallen child over and over._

Sans wrapped his arms around the younger being, settling on offering what little comfort he could seeing as he was unable to snap his bro out of whatever this was.

By now tears were streaming heavily down the normally enthusiastic skeletons face as sobs tore from his throat.

_Failing to avenge his family and friends, laying on the floor as his body slowly turned to dust, hearing Sans' voice echo through his head before falling into oblivion._

As the last memories passed before his eyes Papyrus' head shot up, locking onto his older brothers gaze in quiet wonder.

He remembered it all, even what happened after he'd been killed by Chara.

_It felt as if he were floating. There was no light... there was nothing besides the immeasurable darkness that surrounded him. To be honest, Pap was becoming slightly frightened. Then, all of a sudden, his brother was there, holding him close as he whispered words of comfort. Tears fell as Papyrus sobbed into the soft, blue hoodie, releasing his pent up frustrations as the other waited patiently._

_'Shhh, it's alright.' The slipper wearing monster said after what seemed like forever. 'Ya did good Pappy, there's no need to be ashamed. You were so brave and did your best to stop that brat. It's all anyone could ask of you. I'm so proud.'_

_Papyrus let himself be drawn further into his brothers embrace, seeking the comfort the older skeleton offered so freely. He was exhausted from both the mental and physical stress and could feel his sockets drifting shut as he leaned into the comedian._

_'Just relax, sleep. It will all be better soon. Let yourself forget.' He heard Sans say softly as he felt warmth pulse through his soul. 'I'll protect you... I promise.'_

Now, watching his big brothers eyes flick between him and the unconscious human child, Papyrus knew that he was keeping that promise. But he also knew that dealing with the timelines alone was slowly destroying Sans and he refused to allow that to happen. During the last loop he had made a vow to help his pun loving sibling no matter what... but he'd forgotten. That thought made guilt well up in his soul. There was nothing he could do to change that fact but he could help now... and he'd never allow himself to forget again.

“Sans...” Papyrus trailed off, unsure how to start.

The older skelebro held his gaze, relief shining in his eyes now that the other monster had finally come out of his catatonic state.

“What is it bro?” He asked, searching the younger beings face for any indication of what was wrong. “You alright?”

“Yes, brother, I am fine.” The spaghetti lover stated, more serious than usual. “But... I remember.”

Sans froze, sockets widening in shock. No, it had to be something else, it couldn't be what he thought it was. There was no way Papyrus could remember the last timeline. The skeletal scientist had figured out a long time ago that memories of the various timelines were subconsciously suppressed by all but a few beings. Those being himself, the brat, and the weed. It was easy to deduce why the other two could remember, the determination coursing through their bodies played a major role, but the only reason he could figure out on himself was his resolve to save his friends. His brother had never shown any sign of remembering however. So how was it that now, after all this time, Papyrus seemed to be doing just that?

“Remember what?” Sans finally asked, noticing the worried look his sibling was sending him.

_'Please don't let it be the last timeline, please don't let it be the last timeline, please don't let it be...'_ The jokester repeated in his head as he awaited the answer with bated breath.

“I remember everything that happened last time... you know... during the timeline.” Sans sucked in a breath as his fears were brought into the light.

He'd never wanted his innocent little brother to have to go through the pain of remembering what had occurred during those awful loops. After all this time he was used to it. But, even so, he still had days where it felt as if it were too much to bear. Papyrus didn't have a mean bone in his body! How was such a caring person supposed to deal with the reality that everyone he loved had been killed on multiple occasions by a child he'd once offered friendship to?

“I'm sorry, brother.” Pap muttered, bringing Sans' attention back to him. “I'm sorry I failed to stop the fallen child. I know you already said you forgive me but... how am I supposed to forgive myself?”

The scarf wearing skeleton turned away, too ashamed to face his bro as tears pooled in his eye sockets.

“Hey, hey, listen to me Pappy.” The elder monster spoke seriously as he moved forward, reaching up to grab the others chin in a gentle hold and turning it so that the taller being would meet his gaze. “What I told you last time was true. You have nothing to be sorry for. In fact... you did better than most people would have done had they been faced with the same situation.”

Papyrus wrapped his lanky arms around the judge, clinging to him as if he were a lifeline. “But it wasn't enough. I wasn't able to save you! I WASN'T ABLE TO SAVE ANYONE!”

Sans didn't know what to say to that. How could he tell his impressionable baby bro that even if he had managed to save someone... it wouldn't have mattered. The brat would have just reset and they'd be in the same position they are now. No, he couldn't bring himself to reveal that truth. Instead, he chose to remain silent and tightened his hold on the other monster, infusing as much support and love into the embrace as possible. After a short time Sans led Papyrus back toward their house. They only had a small amount of time before Chara woke up and he didn't want his younger sibling in the area when she regained consciousness. The only reason he didn't kill her right then and there is because it would have given her the opportunity to load a save and then she'd be after them even quicker than if he just left her laying there in the snow.

“Don't worry Pap, we'll figure something out.” He said a short time later as he settled the unusually quiet monster down on their couch before heading into the kitchen to fix his brother a plate of spaghetti.

_'But how?'_ The dejected skeleton wondered to himself. _'Even if I do remember... how will that change anything? Sans is far more powerful than I am and even he hasn't been able to bring a halt to that evil child's resets.'_

“I'll just be a burden.” Pap admitted under his breath, hanging his head in defeat as his older brother reentered the room.

Sans set the pasta down on the side table, waiting a few minutes before sighing and leaving the troubled monster to his thoughts. As much as he'd rather be trying to raise Pappy's spirits, he had some planning to do before he faced Chara. There were so many unknown variables that hadn't been present in any of the previous loops, apart from the last one that is, and he was uncertain how they would affect the outcome of this timeline.

Papyrus watched his brother walk off before slowly lifting the plate into his lap. The spaghetti was sending up small wisps of steam and looked absolutely delicious... but he found he had no appetite for it. All he could think of was how badly he was letting down his friends, his brother, and it nearly tore his soul in two. Placing the food back onto the stand the puzzle loving monster made his decision. The last thing Chara would expect after what had happened earlier would be for him to meet her in his regular place at the edge of Waterfall. Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to throw her off her game.

“Yes! This may just work.” He said aloud as he jumped to his feet, spirits renewed at the thought of helping his loved ones. “But how do I stop her from resetting?”

The sentry thought about their predicament for a few minutes, eyes narrowing in concentration. There was one thing he was certain of and it was that he wouldn't be able to defeat the child on his own. But what was the point of trying to kill Chara when she could just reset whenever she wanted to? Finally, after what seemed like forever, an idea came to mind.

“I may not be able to defeat the human but I am positive that I can capture her.” He declared confidently, rising to his feet in order to strike a dramatic pose. “If I manage to hold her long enough for Sans to figure out a way to take away her control of the timelines then maybe we can stop the resets altogether!”

With that, the scarf clad skeleton headed towards the door, pausing momentarily to glance back at the meal his brother had so lovingly prepared for him.

“Thank you Sans...” He whispered, stealing his resolve as he flung open the door. “For everything.”

With that he was gone, scarf flowing in the wind as he trudged through the snowy streets towards his destination.

 


End file.
